College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources

Graduate students from the Department of Plant Pathology participated in the 2023 American Phytopathological Society North Central Division (APS-NCD) Meeting held on June 20, 2023, in West Lafayette, Indiana, and hosted by Purdue University. We congratulate all student participants and awardees [Mayowa Aderoju (Extension Flash and Dash Talk, Individual Winner), Ibukunoluwa Bankole and Rovel Austria (Travel Award), Sabina Paudel (1st place, Poster Competition), and Nitha Rafi (3rd place, Oral Presentation)].

Teresa Miller-Wathke’s upbringing in agriculture and desire to work in horticultural therapy or public horticulture led her to pursue a Horticulture degree at North Dakota State University.

Dr. Thomas Baldwin, an assistant professor of barley pathology in the Department of Plant Pathology, has been featured by U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI).

NDSU sophomore McKayla Carlson-Hughes grew up around agriculture and discovered a love for educating others about agriculture through involvement in 4-H. These experiences led her to pursue a degree in Agricultural Education.

Abbeah Navasca, Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of Plant Pathology, has been selected to participate in the 2023-2026 FFAR Fellow Program. Navasca’s research focuses on the ability of Fusarium species to acquire and adapt genomic regions for pathogenicity in response to crop rotation. Her major advisors are Drs. Thomas Baldwin and Gary Secor. Navasca’s research goal is to improve crop rotation strategies through a deeper understanding of these biological mechanisms.

The knowledge and experience Karagan Friedt is gaining in the Animal Science program at NDSU are preparing her for a future in animal agriculture.